Non-fat baking ingredient and method of making

ABSTRACT

An improved shortening substitute for food products such as bakery products. The improved shortening substitute includes a mixture of a fruit puree, a sweetener, a preservative, water, a fat mimetic, a pH adjuster and a source of calcium ions. The shortening substitute is formulated to be used in a wide variety of food products and have a 1:1 to 0.5:1 replacement value of the improved shortening substitute to oil, butter or shortening to produce high quality baked products.

This invention relates to the art of foods, and more particularly to ashortening and oil substitute for use in bakery goods which includes afruit puree in combination with a fat mimetic which is formulated toreduce or eliminate the need for a shortening, a butter and/or an oiladdition in a food product without sacrificing the advantages of usingan oil, butter or shortening with respect to the texture, appearance andorganoleptic properties of the food product.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is particularly applicable for the use as asubstitute for shortening, butter and/or oil in bakery goods such ascakes, breads, muffins, cookies and brownies; however, it can beappreciated that the shortening substitute has a wide variety ofapplications in the food industry and may be used in soups, saladdressings, casseroles or other types of foods which require the additionof a shortening, butter or oil.

To reduce the fat content of baked goods, it is becoming quite popularto use a fruit puree. The fruit puree is substituted for a portion orall of the shortening, butter or oil which is added to the food product.The most used fruit puree used to substitute oil, butter or shorteningis applesauce. Applesauce has long been used as a substitute for oil,butter and shortening in a variety of baking goods such as cakes,cookies and breads. Other fruit purees such as apricots, plums andprunes have also been used as oil, butter and shortening substitutes inbaked goods. Fruit purees have the advantage of being a naturallyoccurring food, which when substituted for shortening, butter and oilhave produced significantly reduced caloric values of such baked goods.Although these fruit purees have gained a wider acceptance by thepublic, these fruit purees have had limited success in producing bakedgoods having the appearance, texture and taste of their shortening,butter or oil containing counterparts. Many types of baked goods such asbrownies require oil or shortening to create a moist product having afudgy texture and glossy cracked surface. The substitution of a fruitpuree for oil or shortening in a brownie mix typically results in a dry,hard product having a sticky and a non-fudgy texture and a non-glossycracked surface appearance. For light colored baked goods, the additionof certain types of fruit purees such as prune purees may tarnish ordiscolor the light colored foods. The use of fruit purees in baked goodscan also dull the natural flavors of the baked goods and/or produceoff-flavors or add undue sweetness to the baked goods. In addition,fruit puree substitutes have been essentially limited to substitution ofoil, butter or shortening in specially formulated baked goods and havegenerally been unacceptable as an oil or shortening substitute in otherfood products such as salad dressings, sauces, casseroles, vegetabledishes or the like. In view of the problems associated with fruit pureesas oil, butter and shortening substitutes, there has not been a rapidacceptance by the public of such products as a viable substitute foroil, butter and shortening.

As a result of the problems associated with use of fruit purees as oil,butter and shortening substitutes in food products, there remains ademand for a shortening, butter and oil substitute which produces afinal food product having a similar appearance, a similar texture andsimilar organoleptic properties as comparable goods which traditionallyincorporate shortening, butter and oil without adding a fat component orincrease the calorie content of the food product.

THE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an improved oil, butter and shorteningsubstitute for food products especially bakery products such as cakes,breads, muffins, cookies and brownies to reduce the caloric content ofsuch foods without sacrificing the appearance, texture and organolepticproperties of such foods. The improved shortening substitute is animprovement over traditional fruit puree substitutes for shortening,butter and oil such as applesauce in that the improved shorteningsubstitute retains the natural ingredient components of a fruit pureesubstitute while producing food products having a similar taste,appearance and organoleptic properties of food products which werepreviously obtainable only by using a shortening, butter or an oil.

The improved shortening substitute includes a fruit puree which iscombined with a sweetener such as sugar and/or corn syrup, apreservative for the fruit puree and water to obtain the desiredconsistency of the fruit puree mixture. In addition to theseingredients, a fat mimetic is added to improve the baiting properties ofthe fruit puree mixture to emulate the effect commonly associated withthe addition of oil, butter and shortening to baked goods. Oil, butterand shortening have traditionally been added to baked goods to achieve adesired texture, moisture content, volume and taste of the food,properties which are important for baked goods such as cakes, breads,etc. The amount of fat mimetic added to the fruit puree mixture shouldbe at least about 0.1 weight percent of the shortening substitute toprovide a sufficient concentration of the fat mimetic to effect thedesired results in the food products. The amount of the fat mimetic mayconstitute up to about 10% of the shortening substitute and ispreferably about 0.5 to about 4.0% by weight of the shorteningsubstitute. The fat mimetic complements the shortening, butter and oilreplacement properties of the fruit puree while providing the additionaldesired taste, appearance, volume, texture, moisture content andorganoleptic properties to food products which are traditionallyassociated with the addition of shortenings, butter and oils.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, the fatmimetic added to the shortening substitute is a pectin based fat mimeticsuch as a low methoxyl pectin. A low methoxyl pectin is particularlydesirable in the present invention in that the low methoxyl pectin whenmixed with water and a calcium ion source, produces a creamy consistencywhich has properties that closely emulate traditional shortening, butterand oil products in foods. The calcium ion source is used as a gellingagent that modifies the low methoxyl pectin during a homogenizationprocess under high shear conditions to form a solution which producesthe desired shortening, butter and oil emulating properties. One type ofcalcium ion source which can be used is calcium chloride. The amount ofcalcium ion source added is dependent on the amount of low methoxylpectin added to the shortening substitute. Preferably, the calcium ionsource makes up at least about 0.01% by weight of the shorteningsubstitute.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a pHadjuster is added to the shortening substitute to achieve the desiredoil, butter and shortening substitution properties. It has been foundthat an acidic pH for the shortening substitute produces the mostdesirable results. Preferably, the pH should be maintained between about2.7 to about 6.0 to achieve the optimum effects of the shorteningsubstitute. To achieve the desired pH, a food acid such as ascorbic acidand/or citric acid is preferably added to obtain the desired acidic pH.Ascorbic acid addition is desirable in that it not only produces anacidic pH, ascorbic acid adds nutritional vitamins to the shorteningsubstitute and helps inhibit the browning of the fruit puree.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, asweetener is added to the shortening substitute to obtain a brix valuein the range of about 20% to about 60%. It has been found that a too lowbrix value or a too high brix value will make the shortening substitutetoo bitter or too sweet, respectively, and will adversely affect theviscosity of the shortening substitute. Increasing the brix valuesubstantially above 60% causes the shortening substitute to become verysweet thereby affecting the taste of the final food product.Furthermore, a brix value substantially above 60% increases theviscosity of the shortening substitute to a point that the shorteningsubstitute can adversely affect the appearance and texture of the foodproduct and will not properly mix with the food product. A highviscosity also makes it difficult to dispense and measure the shorteningsubstitute when being added to a food product. Conversely, brix valuessubstantially below 20% do not impart proper flavoring to the shorteningsubstitute thereby affecting the taste of the food product. Furthermore,a brix value substantially below 20% can cause the shortening substituteto be liquidy thereby adversely affecting a food product. The desiredviscosity of the shortening substitute to produce a product which can besatisfactorily added to a food product and which can properly be mixedwith the food product is obtained by preferably selecting a brix valueof at least about 20% to about 60%.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a foodpreservative is added to the shortening substitute to extend the shelflife of the shortening substitute. The addition of water, a sweetenerand/or a food acid to the shortening substitute can reduce the shelflife of the shortening substitute even in a hermetically sealedenvironment. In order to extend the shelf life of the shorteningsubstitute without adversely affecting the physical properties of theshortening substitute, a food preservative is preferably added to theshortening substitute.

In accordance with still yet another aspect of the present invention, anemulsifier is preferably added to the shortening substitute. Theaddition of emulsifiers has been found to improve the texture andbrowning of the baked goods. An emulsifier which is preferably added tothe shortening substitute is lecithin. Lecithin is preferably added tothe shortening substitute in an amount of at least about 0.1 weightpercent of the shortening substitute.

The primary object of the present invention is the provision of ashortening, butter and oil substitute of the type used for food productssuch as bakery goods, dressings, casseroles, etc. which replaces therequirement in recipes of adding a shortening, oil, butter, margarine,vegetable and/or animal based cooking oils to the food product.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a shorteningsubstitute, as defined above, which composition includes no addedshortening, butter or oil yet produces food products having theappearance, the texture and the organoleptic properties of a foodproduct which traditionally includes shortening, butter or oil.

Still a further object of the present invention is the provision of ashortening substitute which is based upon a fruit puree mixture incombination with a fat mimetic to form a mixture having a significantlyreduced caloric value as compared to oil, butter or shortening and whichemulates the effects of shortening, butter and oil in a wide variety offood products.

Still yet another object of the present invention in the provision of ashortening substitute which is based upon a fruit puree mixture incombination with a fat mimetic and emulsifiers to form food productshaving a reduced caloric value as compared to oil, butter or shorteningand which emulates the effects of shortening, butter and oil in suchfoods.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of acomposition which includes a fruit puree, a particular brix value and aparticular acidic pH value to form a mixture having the desired tasteand the desired mixing properties necessary to be added to food productsto create a food product which emulates the texture, appearance andorganoleptic properties of food products which traditionally include theaddition of shortening, butter and oils.

Yet another object of the present invention is the provision of acomposition as defined above which is relatively simple and costeffective to manufacture and has an extended shelf life.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from thefollowing description of the invention.

THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention,there is provided an improved shortening, butter and oil substitute forfood products and particularly for bakery products such as cakes,breads, muffins, cookies, brownies, etc. The shortening substitute, whenused in bakery products, has been found to be effective in replacing theshortening, butter and/or oil content of such bakery goods as called forin scratch bakery recipes and/or boxed or ready-mixed recipes. Theimproved shortening substitute is a significant improvement overtraditional shortening substitutes which constituted a fruit puree suchas a puree of apples, apricots, prunes and/or plums. These priorshortening substitutes primarily were limited to oil, a butter and ashortening substituted in baked goods. However, even when suchsubstitutes were used, the final baked product which resulted from theuse of the fruit puree typically was different in appearance, volume,texture and/or its organoleptic properties as compared with comparablebaked products which incorporated the use of an oil, butter and/orshortening. Consequently, these fruit purees were limited to customrecipes designed to be used with a specific type of fruit pureeshortening substitute thereby limiting the general use of suchshortening substitutes.

The improved shortening substitute of the present invention overcomesthe deficiencies of prior fruit puree shortening substitutes byproviding a shortening substitute which incorporates a unique blend ofingredients which allows the improved shortening substitute to be usedin a wide variety of baked food products while still maintaining thetaste, appearance, texture, volume and organoleptic properties of foodsproducts which traditionally included shortening, butter and/or oil.

The shortening substitute includes a mixture of a fruit puree, asweetener, water and a controlled amount of a fat mimetic. The fruitpuree is preferably an apple puree; however, other types of fruit pureemay be used in substitution for the apple puree or in combination withthe apple puree to form the base component of the shortening substitute.Such other fruit purees may include apricot, plums, prunes, peaches,nectarines, pears. As can be appreciated, a fruit juice concentrate maybe used as a substitute for the fruit puree. Furthermore, a vegetablepuree can be added to or substituted for the fruit puree and/or fruitconcentrate. The fruit puree may be unconcentrated or in concentratedform. If the fruit puree is in concentrated form, additional water isadded to dilute the concentrate. The fruit puree is one of the primarycomponents of shortening substitutes and provides the solids content andfiber content of the shortening substitute. The fruit puree content mayconstitute about 5.0 to about 50.0 weight percent of the shorteningsubstitute. Water is added to the fruit puree to big the shorteningsubstitute up to yield.

A sweetener is added to the shortening substitute to obtain the desiredsweetness of the shortening substitute and the desired bulk, solidscontent and viscosity of the shortening substitute. Various types ofsweeteners may be added to achieve the desired flavoring and viscosityof the shortening substitute. Such sweeteners include sugar, corn syrup,high fructose corn syrup, honey, polydextrose, etc. A portion of thesweetener can be substituted with maltodextrin for purposes of adding abulking agent to the shortening substitute. The sweetener is added toprovide bulk and solids to the shortening substitute and to obtain abrix value of the shortening substitute of at least about 10%.Preferably, the brix value is maintained between about 20% to about 60%.Brix values of about 40% have been found to create an improvedshortening substitute which can be used in a wide variety of bakeryproducts. Brix values below about 10% have been found to produce ashortening substitute which creates a bitter and/or non-traditionalflavor to the bakery products. Brix values which substantially exceedabout 60% have been found to create a shortening substitute which ishighly viscous and difficult to mix with a batter used in a bakeryproduct. In addition, the high brix value has a tendency to produce asweet after taste in the bakery products due to the high sweetenercontent in the shortening substitute. Brix values of about 20% to about60% have been found to not adversely affect the taste of the bakeryproducts. The fat mimetic which is included in the shortening substituteis preferably a pectin based fat mimetic. One type of pectin based fatmimetic which has been found to perform particularly well is a lowmethoxyl pectin similar to the type which is marketed by Hercules, Inc.under the tradename "Slendid". This fat mimetic is available in a powderform and upon the addition of water forms a solution having a creamyconsistency when homogenized under high shear conditions. It has beenfound that when the low methoxyl pectin and water solution is combinedwith a gelling aid such as a calcium ion source, the solution istransformed into a gel type solution which upon being homogenized,produces a solution having fat mimicking characteristics. The fatmimetic is preferably present in the shortening substitute in an amountof at least about 0.1% by weight and preferably does not exceed 10% byweight of the shortening substitute. Concentrations of the fat mimeticwhich are substantially below 0.1 weight percent create a shorteningsubstitute which does not exhibit any apparent advantages as to taste,texture and organoleptic properties of baked goods as compared tostandard fruit puree shortening substitutes. Concentrations of the fatmimetic which substantially exceed about 10 weight percent creates ahighly viscous shortening substitute which is difficult to be properlymixed with a batter for use in a bakery product. Furthermore, theadditional addition of large amounts of the fat mimetic does notsubstantially improve the characteristics of the shortening substitutewith respect to creating a better bakery product and can, in certainbaked goods, adversely affect the properties of the baked goods.Preferably about 0.5 to about 4.0% by weight of the fat mimetic is addedto the shortening substitute to obtain the desired improved oil, butterand shortening effects. As can be appreciated, other fat mimetics can besubstituted partially or whole for the pectin based fat mimetic. Thesesubstitutes include starch based fat mimetics, cellulose gum based fatmimetic, carragenans, alginate, protein based fat mimetics, oat basedfat mimetics and/or maltodextrin. When low methoxyl pectin is used asthe fat mimetic, a calcium ion source is used as a gelling agent such ascalcium chloride. When calcium chloride is used, it is preferably addedin an amount of about 0.01 to about 0.5 weight percent of the shorteningsubstitute. Other calcium ion sources may be used such as calciumcarbonate and/or calcium sulfate.

The pH of the shortening substitute has been found to effect theproperties of the shortening substitute. An acidic shortening substitutehas been found to function the best in baked goods. Preferably the pH ofthe shortening substitute is maintained between about 2.9 to about 6.0and more preferably about 3 to about 4. A food acid such as citric acidand/or ascorbic acid is preferably added to the shortening substitute toobtain the desired pH levels. However, it can be appreciated that othertypes of food acids may be added to the shortening substitute to achievesimilar results. Ascorbic acid is preferably added to the shorteningsubstitute to help prevent the browning and discoloration of theshortening substitute. Ascorbic acid also adds important vitamins to theshortening substitute such as vitamin C. As can be appreciated,additional vitamin source may be added to the shortening substitute.

A preservative is also preferably added to the shortening substitute toextend the shelf life of the shortening substitute. The preservativeprevents the degradation and the spoilage of the fruit puree therebyextending the shelf life of the shortening substitute. The preservativeselected should be one which can actively combat the growth of mold at apH of about 2.9 to about 6.0. Preferably, a preservative such aspotassium sorbate, sodium bisulfate, sulfur dioxide or the like may beused as a preservative for the shortening substitute.

The shortening substitute preferably includes an emulsifier. Theemulsifier addition has been found to improve the texture and browningof baked goods. The emulsifier, if added, should be present in amountsof at least about 0.1 weight percent of the shortening substitute. Anemulsifier concentration below 0.1 weight percent has been found to addno noticeable advantage to the shortening substitute when used in bakedgoods. An emulsifier concentration above 4.0 weight percent has beenfound to offer no additional benefits to the shortening substitute andcan adversely effect some baked goods. An emulsifier which has beenfound to particularly enhance the properties of the shorteningsubstitute is lecithin.

A general formulation of the shortening substitute is as follows:

    ______________________________________                                        Ingredients     Weight Percent Range                                          ______________________________________                                        Fruit puree or fruit juice                                                                     5-50                                                         Sweetener        5-60                                                         Calcium Ion Source                                                                            0.0-0.5                                                       Food Acid       0.01-0.2                                                      Antioxidant      0.0-0.35                                                     Preservative    0.0-0.2                                                       Fat Mimetic     0.1-4.0                                                       Emulsifiers     0.0-4.0                                                       Water           10-75                                                         ______________________________________                                    

The shortening substitute formulated from the above general formulationpreferably has a brix value of 20-60 and a pH of 2.0 to 6.0.

A specific example of the shortening substitute is as follows:

    ______________________________________                                        Ingredient         Lbs.                                                       ______________________________________                                        Apple Puree Concentrate                                                                          11.63                                                      Corn Syrup         42.36                                                      Calcium Chloride   0.09                                                       Citric Acid        0.10                                                       Ascorbic Acid      0.12                                                       Potassium Sorbate  0.20                                                       Low Methoxyl Pectin                                                                              1.09                                                       Lecithin           0.74                                                       Water              43.67                                                      ______________________________________                                    

The brix value of the shortening substitute is about 35-45 and the pH isabout 3-4.

In preparing the shortening substitute, the fruit puree, sweetener,calcium chloride and water are blended together under low shearenvironments. The mixture is then heated to about 165° F. In a separatecontainer, the low methoxyl pectin is mixed with warm water under highshear conditions to create a solution having a creamy consistency. Themixture is then heated to about 170° F. During the mixing process, thelecithin is added, if it is being used. The creamy solution is thenblended with the solution of fruit puree. A food acid and a preservativeare added to the mixture to adjust the pH and prevent oxidation of thefinal mixture. The final mixture is then cooked under vacuum conditionsto obtain the appropriate solid level and subsequently homogenized toobtain the final improved shortening substitute product. Thehomogenization process occurs under high shear conditions and at about2500 psi to microparticulate the mixture to a particle size of about 5to 100 microns.

The improved shortening substitute was tested on a variety of popularbakery items such as cakes and cookies. Both convenience mixes andscratch recipes were evaluated. In making a comparison of the advantagesof the improved shortening substitute to standard fruit purees, theimproved shortening substitute was compared with applesauce. Both theimproved shortening substitute and the applesauce were compared to acontrol bakery product which included the standard additions ofshortening, oil and/or butter. The tests were conducted wherein theimproved substitute was added in an equal replacement value and a halfreplacement value to the listed amount of oil, butter or shortening onthe various type of bakery goods. An equal replacement value for theapplesauce to the oil, butter or shortening was tested as recommended byMotts.

EXAMPLE 1 (CAKES)

A Pillsbury white cake was selected to determine the effectiveness ofthe improved shortening substitute in convenient cake mixes. ThePillsbury white cake called for 1/3 cup of oil to be added to the cakemix. It was found that equal replacement and half replacement values ofthe improved shortening substitute produced a white cake having a veryacceptable to excellent appearance with respect to color, height andsurface gloss and such cake was very similar to the control cake whichincluded 1/3 cup of oil. Furthermore, it was found that the addition ofthe improved shortening substitute produced a white cake having a verysimilar texture and cut appearance as compared to the control cake. Thecake containing the improved shortening substitute also was moist andhad an acceptable keeping quality. Finally, the flavor of the cakeincluding in the improved shortening substitute was very acceptable intaste and very similar in taste to the control cake.

The white cake which included the applesauce as an oil substituteproduced a cake which was sticky to touch, was much sweeter than thecontrol cake and had a slightly sticky texture when consumed.Furthermore, the cake which included the applesauce produced a dryercake than that of the control cake.

EXAMPLE 2 (CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES)

A convenience mix of Duncan Hines chocolate chip cookies was tested withthe improved shortening substitute and applesauce. The baking appearanceof the chocolate chip cookies containing equal and half replacementvalues of the improved shortening substitute were very close to thecontrol cookies which included a 1/3 cup of oil. The texture and tasteof the chocolate chip cookies which included the improved shorteningsubstitute also closely imitated the control group of chocolate chipcookies.

The chocolate chip cookies which included applesauce as the oilsubstitute produced a slightly puffy cookie having a cake like textureand taste and produced a flavor which was dissimilar from the controlgroup of chocolate chip cookies.

A scratch recipe for chocolate chip cookies obtained from a package ofNestle Toll House chocolate chips was also used as a comparison to test.This cookie recipe required a half-cup of butter. The cookies whichincluded equal and half replacement values of the improved shorteningsubstitute were once again very similar in appearance, texture and tasteto that of the cookies produced by the scratch recipe. The cookies whichincluded applesauce once again produced a puffy, cake like cookie whichhad a tough, cake like texture which was not at all similar to thecontrol group of chocolate chip cookies. Furthermore, the chocolate chipcookies which included applesauce were extremely sticky and became verychewy, tough and stale when kept refrigerated over a short period oftime. The cookies which included the improved shortening substitute werefound to have an excellent keeping quality and did not stick togetherwhen stored.

The improved shortening substitute out performed standard fruit pureesubstitutes such as applesauce in a wide variety of baked goods. Theimproved shortening substitute produced generally good results for bothscratch recipe mixes and convenience recipe mixes. A replacement ratioof about 1/2 the volume of the improved shortening substitute to therequested oil, shortening and/or butter content of a convenience mix orscratch mix was found to produce the most acceptable results in a widevariety of bakery products. The improved shortening substitute produceda bakery product having better texture and keeping quality than productsproduced from applesauce. In many applications, products includingapplesauce exhibited a sticky touch or mouth feel and produced a muchdryer and hard product as compared to the products containing theimproved shortening substitute. Products which include the improvedshortening substitute did not discolor bakery goods and did not produceoff-flavored or undue sweetness when added to both scratch mixes andconvenience mix products. The improved shortening substitute alsoproduced baked goods having the same appearance of oil, butter orshortening containing baked goods with respect to texture and browningbaked. Goods containing the applesauce substitute typically did notbrown properly. In summary, the improved shortening substitute produceda wide variety of baked goods that had very similar or the sameappearance, texture and taste of comparable baked goods which containedoil, butter or shortening.

The invention has been described with reference to a preferredembodiment and alternates thereof. It is believed that manymodifications and alterations of the embodiments disclosed will readilysuggest themselves to those skilled in the art upon reading andunderstanding the detailed description of the invention. It is intendedto include all such modifications and alterations insofar as they comewithin the scope of the present invention.

We claim:
 1. An improvement in a shortening substitute for a batter usedin a bakery product from the group consisting of cakes, breads, muffins,cookies and brownies, said shortening substitute including a mixture ofa fruit puree, a sweetener, a preservative and water, said improvementcomprising the addition of at least about 0.1% by weight a fat mimeticto said shortening substitute, and an emulsifier.
 2. An improvedshortening substitute as defined in claim 1, wherein said emulsifierincludes lecithin in an amount of at least about 0.1 percent by weightof said shortening substitute.
 3. An improvement in a shorteningsubstitute for a batter used in a bakery product from the groupconsisting of cakes, breads, muffins, cookies and brownies, saidshortening substitute including a mixture of a fruit puree, a sweetener,a preservative and water, said improvement comprising the addition of atleast about 0.1% by weight a fat mimetic, a pH adjuster and anemulsifier to said shortening substitute, said fat mimetic being apectin based fat mimetic including a low methoxyl pectin, said pHadjuster added to control the pH between about 2.9 to about 6.0.
 4. Animprovement in a shortening substitute for a batter used in a bakeryproduct from the group consisting of cakes, breads, muffins, cookies andbrownies, said shortening substitute including a mixture of a fruitpuree, a sweetener, a preservative and water, said improvementcomprising the addition of at least about 0.1% by weight a fat mimetic,a pH adjuster, an emulsifier and a calcium ion source to said shorteningsubstitute, said fat mimetic is a pectin based fat mimetic, including alow methoxyl pectin, said pH adjuster includes citric acid to controlthe pH between about 2.9 to about 6.0.
 5. An improvement in a shorteningsubstitute for a batter used in a bakery product from the groupconsisting of cakes, breads, muffins, cookies and brownies, saidshortening substitute including a mixture of a fruit puree, a sweetener,a preservative and water, said improvement comprising the addition of atleast about 0.1% by weight a fat mimetic, a pH adjuster, an emulsifier,and a calcium ion source to said shortening substitute, said fat mimeticis a pectin based fat mimetic including a low methoxyl pectin, said pHadjuster including citric acid to control the pH between about 2.9 toabout 6.0, said calcium ion source includes calcium chloride, and saidsweetener is added to create a brix in the range of about 20% to about60%.
 6. An improved shortening substitute as defined in claim 5, whereinsaid substitute comprises:

    ______________________________________                                        Fruit Puree           5-50%                                                   Sweetener             10-60%                                                  Calcium Ion Source    0.01-0.5%                                               Food Acid             0.05-0.2%                                               Antioxidant           0.0-0.35%                                               Preservative          0.0-0.2%                                                Fat Mimetic           0.1-10%                                                 Emulsifiers           up to 4.0%                                              Water                 10-75%.                                                 ______________________________________                                    


7. An improved shortening substitute as defined in claim 6, wherein saidfat mimetic constitutes about 0.1 to about 4%.
 8. An improved shorteningsubstitute as defined in claim 6, wherein said emulsifier includeslecithin in an amount of at least about 0.1 percent by weight of saidshortening substitute.
 9. An improvement in a shortening substitute amixture of a fruit puree, a sweetener, a preservative and water, saidimprovement comprising the addition of about 0.1% to about 4% by weightfat mimetic, emulsifiers, a pH adjuster and a source of calcium ions,said fat mimetic is a pectin based fat mimetic, and said pH adjusterforming an acidic shortening substitute.
 10. An improved shorteningsubstitute as defined in claim 9, wherein said pH adjuster includescitric acid.
 11. An improved shortening substitute as defined in claim9, wherein said calcium ion source includes calcium chloride.
 12. Animproved shortening substitute as defined in claim 11, wherein saidemulsifier includes lecithin.
 13. An improved shortening substitute asdefined in claim 9, wherein said sweetener is added to create a brix inthe range of about 20% to about 60%.
 14. An improved shorteningsubstitute as defined in claim 13, wherein said emulsifier includeslecithin.
 15. An improved shortening substitute as defined in claim 9,wherein said fat mimetic is a pectin based fat mimetic.
 16. An improvedshortening substitute as defined in claim 9, including a pH adjuster tocontrol the pH between about 2 to about
 6. 17. An improved shorteningsubstitute as defined in claim 16, including a pH adjuster to controlthe pH between about 3.0 to about 4.0.
 18. An improved shorteningsubstitute as defined in claim 17, wherein said pH adjuster includescitric acid.
 19. An improved shortening substitute as defined in claim18, wherein said calcium ion source includes calcium chloride.
 20. Animproved shortening substitute as defined in claim 19, wherein saidsweetener is added to create a brix in the range of about 20% to about60%.
 21. An improved shortening substitute as defined in claim 20,wherein said emulsifier includes lecithin.
 22. An improved shorteningsubstitute as defined in claim 21, wherein said substitute comprises:

    ______________________________________                                        Fruit Puree           5-50%                                                   Sweetener             10-60%                                                  Calcium Ion Source    0.01-0.5%                                               Food Acid             0.05-0.2%                                               Antioxidant           0.0-0.35%                                               Preservative          0.0-0.2%                                                Fat Mimetic           0.1-4.0%                                                Emulsifiers           up to 4.0%                                              Water                 10-75%.                                                 ______________________________________                                    


23. An improved shortening substitute as defined in claim 22, whereinsaid substitute comprises:

    ______________________________________                                        Apple Puree Concentrate                                                                             5-20%                                                   Sweetener             30-50%                                                  Calcium Chloride      0.05-0.2%                                               Citric Acid           0.05-0.2%                                               Ascorbic Acid         0.05-0.25%                                              Potassium Sorbate     0.05-0.4%                                               Low Methoxyl Pectin   0.5-2.0%                                                Lecithin              0.5-2.0%                                                Water                 30-60%.                                                 ______________________________________                                    


24. An improved shortening substitute as defined in claim 23, whereinsaid emulsifier includes lecithin in an amount of at least about 0.1percent by weight of said shortening substitute.
 25. An improvedshortening substitute as defined in claim 17, wherein said sweetener isadded to create a brix in the range of about 20% to about 60%.
 26. Animproved shortening substitute as defined in claim 17, wherein saidemulsifier includes lecithin.
 27. An improved shortening substitute asdefined in claim 9, wherein said emulsifier includes lecithin.
 28. Animproved shortening substitute as defined in claim 27, wherein saidemulsifier includes lecithin in an amount of at least about 0.1 percentby weight of said shortening substitute.
 29. An improved shorteningsubstitute as defined in claim 9, wherein said substitute comprises:

    ______________________________________                                        Fruit Puree           5-50%                                                   Sweetener             10-60%                                                  Calcium Ion Source    0.01-0.5%                                               Food Acid             0.05-0.2%                                               Antioxidant           0.0-0.35%                                               Preservative          0.0-0.2%                                                Fat Mimetic           0.1-4.0%                                                Emulsifiers           0.0-4.0%                                                Water                 10-75%.                                                 ______________________________________                                    


30. An improved shortening substitute as defined in claim 29, whereinsaid substitute comprises:

    ______________________________________                                        Apple Puree Concentrate                                                                             5-20%                                                   Sweetener             30-50%                                                  Calcium Chloride      0.05-0.2%                                               Citric Acid           0.05-0.2%                                               Ascorbic Acid         0.05-0.25%                                              Potassium Sorbate     0.05-0.4%                                               Low Methoxyl Pectin   0.5-2.0%                                                Lecithin              0.5-2.0%                                                Water                 30-60%.                                                 ______________________________________                                    


31. An improved shortening substitute as defined in claim 9, whereinsaid pH adjuster includes an acid selected from the group consisting ofascorbic acid, citric acid and mixtures thereof.
 32. An improvedshortening substitute as defined in claim 9, wherein said fruit pureeincludes a fruit selected from the group consisting of apples, prunes,apricots, plums, pears, peaches, nectarines and mixtures thereof.
 33. Animproved shortening substitute as defined in claim 9, wherein saidpreservative includes potassium sorbate.
 34. An improvement in ashortening substitute for a batter used in a bakery product from thegroup consisting of cakes, breads, muffins, cookies and brownies, saidshortening substitute including a mixture of a fruit puree, a sweetener,a preservative, an emulsifier and water, said substitute comprises:

    ______________________________________                                        Fruit Puree        5-50%                                                      Sweetener          10-60%                                                     Calcium Ion Source 0.01-0.5%                                                  Food Acid          0.05-0.2%                                                  Antioxidant        0.0-0.35%                                                  Preservative       0.0-0.2%                                                   Fat Mimetic        0.1-10%                                                    Emulsifiers         0.0-4.0%!0.1%-4%                                          Water              10-75%.                                                    ______________________________________                                    


35. An improved shortening substitute as defined in claim 34, includinga calcium ion source.
 36. An improved shortening substitute as definedin claim 35, wherein said calcium ion source includes calcium chloride.37. An improved shortening substitute as defined in claim 35, whereinsaid sweetener is added to create a brix in the range of about 20% toabout 60%.
 38. An improved shortening substitute as defined in claim 19,wherein said sweetener is added to create a brix in the range of about20% to about 60%.
 39. An improved shortening substitute as defined inclaim 34, wherein said fat mimetic is a pectin based fat mimetic.
 40. Animproved shortening substitute as defined in claim 39, wherein said fatmimetic is a low methoxyl pectin.
 41. An improved shortening substituteas defined in claim 40, including a pH adjuster to control the pHbetween about 2.7 to about 6.0.
 42. An improved shortening substitute asdefined in claim 41, wherein said pH adjuster includes citric acid. 43.An improved shortening substitute as defined in claim 42, including acalcium ion source.
 44. An improved shortening substitute as defined inclaim 43, wherein said calcium ion source includes calcium chloride. 45.An improved shortening substitute as defined in claim 44, wherein saidsweetener is added to create a brix in the range of about 20% to about60%.
 46. An improved shortening substitute as defined in claim 41,wherein said sweetener is added to create a brix in the range of about20% to about 60%.
 47. An improved shortening substitute as defined inclaim 40, including a calcium ion source.
 48. An improved shorteningsubstitute as defined in claim 34, including a pH adjuster to controlthe pH between about 2 to about
 6. 49. An improved shortening substituteas defined in claim 48, including a pH adjuster to control the pHbetween about 2.7 to about 6.0.
 50. An improved shortening substitute asdefined in claim 34, wherein said fat mimetic constitutes about 0.1 toabout 4%.
 51. A method of producing an improved shortening substitutewhich can be wholly or partially substituted for the oil, butter andshortening content of foods, said method comprising the steps of:a)selecting a fruit puree or fruit concentrate; b) mixing said fruit pureeor fruit concentrate with a sweetener and water to form a fruit mixture;c) selecting a fat mimetic; d) mixing said fat mimetic with said fruitmixture to form a fruit-fat mimetic mixture; and, e) adding a food acidand an emulsifier to said fruit-fat mimetic mixture thereby forming saidshortening substitute comprising:

    ______________________________________                                        Fruit Puree        5-50%                                                      Sweetener          10-60%                                                     Calcium Ion Source 0.01-0.5%                                                  Food Acid          0.05-0.2%                                                  Antioxidant        0.0-0.35%                                                  Preservative       0.0-0.2%                                                   Fat Mimetic        0.1-10%                                                    Emulsifiers         0.0-4.0%!0.1%-4%                                          Water              10-75%,                                                    ______________________________________                                    

said emulsifier includes lecithin in an amount of at least about 0.1percent by weight of said shortening substitute.
 52. A method as definedin claim 51, wherein said fruit puree includes a fruit selected from thegroup consisting of apples, prunes, apricots, plums, pears, nectarines,peaches and mixtures thereof.
 53. A method as defined in claim 51,wherein said sweetener is added to form a shortening substitute having abrix value about 30 to about
 50. 54. A method as defined in claim 51,wherein said sweetener includes a compound selected from the groupconsisting of sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, honey,polydextrose, maltodextrin and mixtures thereof.
 55. A method as definedin claim 51, wherein said food acid includes a compound selected fromthe group consisting of citric acid, ascorbic acid and mixtures thereof.56. A method as defined in claim 51, wherein said fat mimetic is apectin based fat mimetic.
 57. A method as defined in claim 56, whereinsaid fat mimetic is a low methoxyl pectin.
 58. A method as defined inclaim 57, including the step of adding a calcium ion source to saidfruit fat mimetic mixture, said calcium ion source including a calciumcompound selected from the group consisting of calcium chloride, calciumcarbonate, calcium sulfate and mixtures thereof.
 59. A method as definedin claim 51, wherein said food acid is added to an amount to obtain a pHbetween about 2 to about
 6. 60. A method as defined in claim 51, whereinsaid fat mimetic constitutes about 0.1 to about 4%.
 61. A method ofproducing an improved shortening substitute which can be wholly orpartially substituted for the oil, butter and shortening content offoods, said method comprising the steps of:a) selecting a fruit puree orfruit concentrate; b) mixing said fruit puree or fruit concentrate witha sweetener and water to form a fruit mixture: c) selecting fat mimetic;d) mixing said fat mimetic with said fruit mixture to form a fruit-fatmimetic mixture; and, e) adding a food acid to said fruit-fat mimeticmixture to form said shortening substitute; and, f) adding an emulsifierto said fruit-fat mimetic mixture.